LUCA LIVED. BRUCE SHOULD HAVE TOO.
The day after Ventura County killed Bruce, another dog’s case was heard.
His name is Luca.
For those who are new to Luca’s story: Luca was in the kennel beside Bruce at VCAS.
Luca and his owner had become homeless and were living on the streets together. Members of the Simi Valley community saw them, cared about them, and tried to help. Luca also had a rescue/return path: his original out-of-state rescue/breeder in Arizona was asking for him back and prepared to take responsibility for him.
Luca also had bite history.
So this is not a comparison between one dog with bite history and one dog without it.
Luca’s rescue/return path was heard.
Bruce’s was not.
Two dogs.
Two kennels beside each other.
Two rescue/return paths.
Two communities fighting for them.
One made it out.
Bruce did not.
Luca was saved.
That is beautiful.
And it is also almost unbearable, because Luca’s case shows what Bruce was denied.
Luca did not live because VCAS suddenly chose compassion.
He did not live because the County stopped fighting.
VCAS and the County opposed his release before the hearing.
They opposed it during the hearing.
And even after the judge ordered Luca released to his original rescue/breeder in Arizona, the County attorney put one final objection on the record.
The County even pushed for conditions that showed how far it was willing to go to resist release, including a request that the transporter drive straight from VCAS to Arizona without stops.
But Luca got what Bruce did not.
Luca got a full trial.
Bruce got 15 minutes.
Luca’s rescue/return path was heard.
Bruce’s was not heard at all.
A judge ordered Luca released.
Luca left alive.
Bruce was killed.
That is the wound.
And that is the question Ventura County now has to answer.
Because with Bruce, Esteban Rodriguez’s statement to the New York Times was that there was “no court order preventing the action.”
“The action” was killing Bruce.
In other words: no court stopped them.
So they did it.
With Luca, a court did stop them.
The judge heard the evidence.
The judge heard the rescue/return path.
The judge ordered release.
And Luca lived.
That is why this matters so much.
Luca shows what can happen when the rescue/return path is actually heard.
Bruce shows what can happen when VCAS is left free to act before the evidence, the rescue/return path, and the appeal can matter.
Luca lived because a court stopped them.
Bruce died because no court stopped them in time.
And there is more.
A witness from Luca’s case reports that, before the hearing, the County attorney was overheard in the courthouse hallway talking with two VCAS animal-control witnesses about Bruce and what people were saying online.
They reportedly laughed.
About Bruce.
After Ventura County had killed him.
After his family had been denied the chance to be with him.
After the community had begged them to let him live.
And after the judge ordered Luca released, the County attorney reportedly turned to the Simi Valley mom who helped save Luca and asked:
“Are you happy that you got what you wanted?”
Her answer was exactly right:
“I’m happy that you didn’t get to kill Luca, and you should never have killed Bruce.”
That is the truth.
Luca should be alive.
Bruce should be alive too.
So no, Bruce’s name is not going away.
And neither is Luca’s.
Because together, they tell the story Ventura County does not want this community to understand:
This was not inevitable.
This was not compassion.
This was not simply “following orders.”
This was choice.
And Bruce paid for it with his life.
Luca made it out alive.
Bruce should have too.